Chapter 459: The First Major City

Flame Fortress, the castle of Duke Andrea in the Verra Duchy.

In terms of the castle's grandeur alone, it rivals the Golden Feather Palace.

Duke Andrea sat upon his throne, listening to the messenger Zach report on the detailed battle situation of the Black Gold Brotherhood and the compensation arrangements for the deceased individuals of some standing. His brow furrowed deeper and deeper.

In this battle, although the Verra Duchy did not directly participate, the Black Gold Brotherhood served as their enforcer.

Andrea had not anticipated that the split forces of Black Mountain Fortress would utterly eradicate the faction he supported.

It was not merely one or two knight squads, but five knight regiments, led by three Meteor Knights.

They were completely annihilated.

As someone who had long held grievances against Rulance, Andrea found such news deeply troubling.

On one hand, he mourned the loss of three Meteor Knights in this battle; on the other, the enemy was growing stronger, a sight he was even more reluctant to witness.

"My lord, should we continue gathering forces in the Black Pine Mountains, seeking another opportunity to invade the Black Mountain Territory?"

The messenger Zach bowed and inquired.

Andrea shook his head, "No need. Such minor skirmishes no longer make any impact on the Black Mountain Territory."

If they were truly to fight, it must be the Verra Duchy taking direct action, not relying on hastily assembled armed groups.

But if they truly were to fight, besides considering the pretext for aggression, they must also consider whether it was worth it.

Now, it seemed it was not.

Thinking this, Andrea sighed inwardly.

Originally, during the internal strife in the Terrisia Kingdom, Ferrens approached him, hoping to ignite war in the Black Mountain Territory through the Moonlight Valley's non-human races, then spread the flames throughout the kingdom, even reaching the Golden Feather City.

Thus, they could reap greater benefits amidst the chaos.

Now, the Black Mountain Territory not only resisted the pressure but also resolved the key point of Moonlight Valley. The spark for inciting internal strife had vanished, and his plans with Ferrens and Screaming Island had collapsed.

In some ways, the actions of Rulance and Ronin also alleviated certain troubles for Brunor.

"It seems we must truly heed Brunor's call and send troops against the Terrisia Kingdom."

If no gains could be made within the kingdom, then their gaze must shift elsewhere.

However, they harbored prejudice against King Brunor in their hearts. Seeing him and his son expand their territory and even rebuild the empire was more unbearable than killing them.

Indeed, not only Andrea but Duke Ferrens and Screaming Island were equally distressed.

Especially Screaming Island. This time, Merlin directly dispatched the Moon Island Baron to lead the forces, resulting in Screaming Island losing a formidable warrior.

Crucially, Merlin could not comprehend how he was defeated. With five warships, led by a Meteor Knight, why did Silver Knight Carada, stationed at Rapidflow Island, prevail?

Unable to discern the reason for defeat, Merlin could only contract his strategy, abandoning further plans against Rapidflow Island.

A single decisive blow averts a hundred strikes.

This battle of the Black Mountain Territory effectively resolved border issues spanning the past thirty years.

Days later, Ronin and his company returned to Shore City laden with spoils.

Next came the time for compensating the knights and soldiers who perished in battle. Whether Rulance or Ronin, both required substantial sums of gold for this, alongside granting land to the families of the fallen and exempting them from certain taxes.

Ronin merely established guidelines for such matters; the detailed execution did not require his attention.

"My lord, current statistics show nearly twenty thousand individuals in Moonlight Valley willing to migrate to your territory."

Jofrey, hailing from a tribal background, now oversaw military affairs in Stone City, holding a prominent position within the North Black Mountain Territory.

His determination to follow Ronin had now been fulfilled.

Yet Jofrey knew he could advance further, for the lord before him was extraordinary.

"Only twenty thousand?" The figure was smaller than anticipated.

Although Morphester transformed two to three hundred thousand people into Soul Sorcerers, Moonlight Valley, developed over many years as a baronial territory, losing two to three hundred thousand merely halved its population.

Jofrey explained, "Many feel the war has ended and wish not to leave their homes. Some were drawn away by Baron Philip and others, whose territories also lack people."

Ronin nodded slightly, "I understand. Twenty thousand is still good. Migrate them all to Stone City and Red Mountain Town. Inform Sellen that the mining of Red Mountain Iron Mine must accelerate; I need as much iron ore as possible!"

"Yes, my lord. I shall proceed immediately!"

Jofrey felt pleased inwardly. More population in the city he managed meant more knights could arise, making knight squad formation easier.

Though accommodating these twenty thousand posed challenges, the plunder—no, the spoils from victory—provided ample grain to sustain them.

After handling affairs at Shore City, Ronin employed Shadow Wind Art. Massive translucent wings unfolded, and he swiftly soared over the city, racing toward Purple Thunder Territory.

Indeed, two days prior, he had received a victory report from Maken—not only had the invading enemy been eradicated, but Black Pine Mountains had also been reclaimed.

Maken also reported the results to Ronin: besides armor, defensive gear, warhorses, and grain, the primary gain was population.

Black Pine Mountains already housed many people; moreover, to sustain the new knight regiments and seek expansion into the Black Mountain Territory, vast numbers gathered here for logistical support.

Now that Black Pine Mountains had been seized by the Black Mountain Territory, certain merchant groups or individuals within the Verra Duchy could no longer supply grain here. The eighty to ninety thousand remaining would soon face famine.

Knowing Ronin prioritized population, Maken promptly consulted with Melonica and Cabir, bringing thirty-six thousand six hundred people back to Purple Thunder City.

Given Purple Thunder Territory's grain reserves and recent autumn harvest yields, accommodating such a population posed no issue.

Shadow Wind Art proved swift indeed; two hours later, Ronin arrived at Purple Thunder Fortress.

Actually, if he exerted full speed, it might take only an hour.

But such exertion would drain too much, unsupportable by magical energy.

"My lord, you have arrived!"

Maken greeted him.

"Congratulations, Maken, on such a splendid victory!"

"It was the combined effort of several knight regiments."

Maken remained his steady, modest character, displaying humility.

"Without your strength, this battle could not have been won so effortlessly."

The enemy had five knight regiments; without Maken, relying solely on Melonica could not have overcome the three Meteor Knights.

"Have you completed the tasks I entrusted to you?"

Maken ushered Ronin into the study, "Upon receiving your letter, I instructed Simon to proceed. Last night, it was compiled into records."

Upon hearing this name, Ronin recalled the young sorcerer who voluntarily pledged allegiance to him that day, "How has Simon performed?"

"He performed well."

Maken said, "I intend to appoint him as my deputy."

Ronin nodded slightly. Such matters could be left to Maken's discretion; he need not concern himself with everything.

He approached the desk and opened the register placed in the center.

The precise number of captives brought back from Black Pine Mountains was 36,122. Adding Purple Thunder City's original sixty-eight thousand inhabitants, the city's population now exceeded one hundred thousand.

Regardless of how these one hundred thousand would live henceforth, this number alone met the requirement for the "Conquer Cities and Seize Lands" achievement's large city standard.

Thus, upon seeing this figure, a line of text appeared before Ronin's eyes:

"Capture of Cities and Territories" achievement attained, attribute points +2000, energy essence +4000. (End of this chapter.)